Election Law: International Elections

Democracy Program The Democracy Program works globally to support democratic elections and strengthen participatory democracy, consistent with human rights. The overarching objective is to enhance democratic governance and increase effective political participation for all, especially groups that have been historically disadvantaged or that face political, cultural, or socioeconomic barriers. This includes women, racial and ethnic minorities, indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, youth, elderly people, and other marginalized groups.

• Zimbabwe 
• Sierra Leone
• Tunisia 

National Democratic Institute the National Democratic Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide through citizen participation, openness and accountability in government.

• Election Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning NDI uses a variety of rigorous and innovative methodologies to capture the quality, effectiveness and impact of our democracy assistance programs. 
• Political Inclusion of Marginalized Groups Democracy is more likely to develop and endure when all segments of a society are free to participate in and influence political outcomes without suffering discrimination or reprisal. But in many new and emerging democracies, large portions of the population are excluded from politics based on their age, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or other identity factors. NDI works to increase the participation of these communities so they can have a voice in the political process and achieve a greater level of equality, understanding that political participation is a fundamental means of addressing the social and economic inequities associated with marginalization.

There are a variety of resources a researcher could use to locate information on elections. A list of selected journals is included below. 

HeinOnline HeinOnline provides access to a variety of databases and resources. While this list is not exhaustive, we have provide some periodicals or special issues which might be helpful. 

HeinOnline also has the "Pathfinder" feature which is a suite of browse and search tools for subject-specific research. You can access the Pathfinder block from the Law Journal Library Landing page here or the advanced search page here. Once you have reached the pathfinder page, you can access "elections" under the government and politics tab under the social sciences menu. 

• Journal of Democracy - Focusing exclusively on democracy, the Journal monitors and analyzes democratic regimes and movements around the world. Each issue features a unique blend of scholarly analysis, reports from democratic activists, updates on news and elections, and reviews of important recent books.
• Election Law Journal provides global, interdisciplinary coverage of election law, policy, and administration. As the first journal focused on this specialized area of law, it provides exclusive access to historic developments and election reforms that are impacting international elections today. The Journal addresses everything from federal to local election laws with insightful analysis from the top scholars in the field, as well as perspectives from practitioners and elected officials. 
• ABA, Section on Civil Rights and Social Justice, Special Issue "Economics of Voting"  Vol 48 no 1 (2022) 

Below is an example of an article available on HeinOnline. 

Elizabeth Yang "The Price of Democracy In International Elections" 48 Hum, Rts (2022-2023) .

United Nations under the Political and Peacebuilding Affairs umbrella plays a major role in providing international assistance to international elections. Elections are a vital part of democratic processes, including political transitions, implementation of peace agreements and consolidation of democracy. See some of the many projects the UN is engaged wtih below. 

Electoral Resources  

• The ACE Electoral Knowledge Network The ACE Electoral Knowledge Network provides comprehensive information on elections, promotes networking among election-related professionals and offers capacity development services. The ACE Electoral Knowledge Network was developed in 2006 by eight partner organizations which provide targeted technical assistance in elections management; namely: Elections Canada, the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA), the National Electoral Institute of Mexico (INE), the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), the International Institute  for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (I-IDEA), the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Electoral Assistance Division (EAD).
• BRIDGE Project - Building Resources in Democracy, Governance & Elections. Born from a partnership between the United Nations (EAD and UNDP) and the International Institute  for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, the Australian Electoral Commission, and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, the project has been developed by electoral administrators themselves and people with wide experience  on elections in many different countries and contexts. BRIDGE workshops are included in many electoral assistance projects and missions to develop the capacity of electoral authorities and other stakeholders.